For the Rest of Our Lives
by Sharinganblossom
Summary: Megan and the McGowans on life and growing up. 03: Megan wondered if it would be socially acceptable to wear a parka to the town pool.
1. Grandparents

**Title: **Grandparents

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys_

**Note: **I have issues with commitment. Like how I should be finishing my other stories before I start something new. Oh well!

**Warning: **Megan may or may not be getting pimped out. There may or may not also be some mild CRACK!

**Summary: **Grandma always wanted a granddaughter and she sure as hell was going to get one.

...

"Grandma and Grandpa are coming to visit!"

Everyone at the dining table paused in their eating to stare at Caleb.

Regina forced a smile and said, "How do you know that, honey?"

Caleb, oblivious to the stares of everyone else at the table, spooned some mashed potatoes into his mouth before speaking."Grandma called and said so."

A few pairs of eyes glanced back to Regina. It looked like she might've been on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

John looked over at his youngest son. "Did they say when they were coming?"

Ian spoke up. "Yeah, their plane lands tomorrow afternoon."

Indignant cries broke out among the boys. Megan glanced around, confused.

_Do they not like their grandparents?_

When she managed to get everyone quiet, Regina asked Ian, "You knew about this too?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm the one that answered the phone."

"When did they call?"

"Yesterday, while you were at the store."

Regina rubbed her temples, no doubt praying for that patience that always seemed to elude her.

Megan decided to speak up. "Is it bad that they're coming...?"

The family exchanged a few glances.

"It's not really bad," Finn said. "We love them and all. It's just...our grandmother is a bit..."

"Crazy!"

John and Regina narrowed their eyes at Doug.

"What? We were all thinkin' it!"

No one countered his argument.

John rubbed his neck. "Alright, my parents are coming. Nothing we can do about it."

Sean, usually quiet and reserved at the table, closed his book and said, "Who's picking them up?"

The table erupted again, everyone shouting out excuses to avoid going to the airport.

"I've got a Spanish project to finish-"

"I have to stay after school-"

"I've got practice-"

John put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly, cutting off all of the voices.

Regina put her hand on his arm, saying, "I will go and pick them up, but _someone _has to come with me."

The boys looked down at their plates, entirely focused on their supper.

"Boys..."

"Why do we got to go?" Doug said. "It ain't like it takes more than one person to drive the car."

Regina pointed her fork at him. "Just for that, you're the one that's going."

"What? That's-"

"Keep it up and you're going to be doing the dishes."

Doug sank back into his seat, glaring at his plate.

Megan glanced back to Regina, noticing the tenseness in her shoulders. She could only imagine how long that car ride would be for her now.

Sympathy swelled in Megan's chest and before she knew it she was saying, "I can go with you too, if you want."

Regina looked up, giving Megan a big smile. "Actually, I would like that very much."

Doug grunted from the other end of the table.

Everyone resumed eating and Megan really hoped that the McGowan's grandparents weren't as bad as they were made out to be.

...

Doug was slumped down in the back seat, his arms folded.

"Man, I really hate this airport."

Megan couldn't help but smile. No doubt he was thinking about when he had to rush to the terminal to stop her from getting on a plane to Korea.

Regina parked the car and the three of them jumped out, making their way towards the elevator.

"So, what are your grandparents like?" Megan asked Doug.

He snorted. "I already told you. They're crazy."

When the elevator doors were closed, Regina reached over to whack Doug upside the head.

"Ow!"

"They're not crazy," Regina said, addressing Megan. "They just have some...quirks about them. Particularly, John's mother."

"Quirks?"

Doug rubbed his head. "Grandma always bugs us to do boring stuff with her. And she's always asking if we've got girlfriends."

Megan raised her eyebrows.

The doors opened and they stepped out, walking towards the nearby terminal.

"Shirley loves the boys," Regina said. "But I think it really bothers her that she never had a girl. She only had sons, and now her sons only have sons."

Megan winced.

_I guess Regina's not the only one hurting for some female bonding..._

"Regina!"

They all looked up to see an elderly couple coming towards them, luggage in tow.

Regina put on a smile and stepped forward to greet them.

"Shirley! Kurt!"

Shirley hugged her tight, kissing each of her cheeks. She turned and spotted Doug.

"Douglas, honey!"

He flinched as she came forward to hug him, planting a big kiss on his cheek. Megan tried to hide her laugh when she noticed the big red lipstick mark on his skin.

"You've gotten so big!" She tilted her head, spotting the earring be donned.

"Douglas, why are you wearing this? You look like a thug!"

She turned to Regina who was hugging Kurt.

"Why did you let your son do that?"

Megan thought she saw Regina twitch. Regina looked over at Doug.

"I didn't," She said dryly.

Doug looked around, avoiding his mother's gaze.

Kurt sighed and picked up their two suitcases. "Shirley, leave the boy alone. Times have changed."

Shirley snorted. "I'll say. Back in my day the only jewelry a man wore was his wedding ring."

Doug coughed back a laugh and leaned over towards Megan. He whispered, "Too bad back in her day all the jewelry was made of dirt."

Megan made an amused sound. She knew Doug was being disrespectful, but she really couldn't help herself.

Shirley turned and seemed to take notice of Megan for the first time. Her bright smile made Megan freeze.

"Oh, Douglas, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend!"

Doug choked on air and all of the color drained out of Megan's face.

"Oh, gross! She ain't my-" Doug couldn't even finish his sentence. He almost looked like he was going to be sick.

Megan opened her mouth but couldn't seem to form sentences.

_She thinks I'm his _girlfriend?

Regina stepped forward, putting an arm around Megan's shoulders.

"This is Megan Meade. Her parents are good friends of ours and she's been staying with us."

Kurt came to stand beside his wife, appraising Megan. "It's nice to meet you sweetheart."

Megan smiled, grateful for the subject change. She shook the hand that was offered to her.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

Shirley looked between her and Doug. It looked like she wanted to say something but Regina quickly intercepted her by saying that they should get to the house.

...

Megan sat in the back between Shirley and Doug, feeling rather uncomfortable. Shirley kept staring at her, not being subtle about it at all. She looked like she had a million questions to ask.

Kurt glanced back at them in the rear view mirror.

"How's school, son?"

Doug looked over at his grandfather. "Goin' good."

"Good, good. How about you, sweetheart?"

Megan looked up. "School is good."

He nodded and smiled at her. She felt her cheeks flush and looked down at her lap.

"Here we are," Regina said, pulling the car into the McGowan's driveway.

All of the doors opened as soon as the car was in park. Kurt and Doug went the the back to get the suitcases as Regina and Megan led Shirley to the front door.

John and the others got up from their positions on the couch.

"It's good to see you, mom!" John greeted enthusiastically, stepping forward to hug her.

Shirley was all smiles as she hugged John and then moved on to hug and kiss each of her grandsons.

"Oh, it's so good to see my boys!"

Shirley turned back to Megan, pulling her forward with an arm around her shoulders.

She smiled and squished Megan's cheeks, saying, "So, which one of my boys is dating this pretty little thing?"

The room was silent.

Megan could feel her cheeks burning. She didn't dare look at any one McGowan brother, lest Shirley catch her stare and make an even bigger scene.

Caleb and Ian were both making gagging noises.

"Yuck! Why would we want to be Megan's boyfriend?"

Shirley rolled her eyes. "Oh, she's much too old for you young ones."

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Miller is far too shy, and Douglas already said that he was not her boyfriend."

Her gaze focused on the three oldest boys.

Sean merely raised an eyebrow.

Evan's cheeks took on a pink hue, but there was a mischievous look in his eyes.

Finn's face slowly turned red from the neck up. He kept glancing at Megan before quickly looking away.

Megan cleared her throat, struggling for words. "Mrs. McGowan, I'm not dating any of your grandsons..."

John, whose jaw had gone slack at his mother's accusation, spoke up. "Megan is just our house guest. The kids have rules specifically against..._dating _each other."

He seemed to have trouble speaking too.

Shirley looked offended.

"You have a lovely teenage girl like her living here in a house full of hormone crazed boys? And she isn't allowed to love any of them?"

Megan struggled for air. When did _love _come into play?

"Shirley," Regina spoke up from behind them. "Why are you so caught up on this? Megan is just staying with us while her parents are in Korea."

"Korea?" Said Kurt. He looked at Megan. "Why are they in Korea?"

Megan shot Shirley a cautious look before addressing him. "My parents are lifers in the army. My dad got relocated there."

Kurt smiled warmly at her. "So, you're an army brat?"

Megan nodded and he reached forward to clap her on the shoulder.

"I've got a lot of respect for those in the armed forces. You tell your folks I said so too."

She smiled at him. She was really beginning to like Kurt. Shirley though...

"She should be Evan's girlfriend. He's almost out of high school, he's got scholarships lined up, and they would make the most beautiful babies."

"What?" Megan blurted out.

Evan cleared his throat. "Uh, grandma, maybe we should take your stuff upstairs..."

Shirley gasped, ignoring him.

"Sean would be even better! They can get started on a family right away!"

Megan swayed. Regina gripped her arm to steady her, her own cheeks coloring in embarrassment.

"Shirley, Megan is only sixteen years old."

The McGowan grandmother had another look of insight.

"Finn then! Oh, they'll be high school sweethearts! Why didn't I think of it sooner?"

Megan slanted a look at Finn. He was staring back at her with a look somewhere between fear and wonder.

Regina raised her voice. "Shirley. The boys are not allowed to date Megan. While she is in our house, they are brothers and sister."

Shirley wasn't even phased. "We'll move her out then. I can help plan the wedding!"

"Dude, why are you trying to pimp Megan out?" Doug spoke up from behind Megan.

He shrank back when his grandmother whirled on him.

"Now, look here. I've waited too long for a precious little granddaughter and if she marries one of you boys then I'll have one. And who knows, her children may be girls too, and then I'll have great-granddaughters."

Megan croaked. "Can we please stop talking about my future children?"

"Oh! She _does _want kids!"

"That's not what I-"

"I can even make your dress, honey! I'll just have to get your measurements!"

Before Megan could protest any further, Shirley was up the stairs.

Kurt sighed. "She's...easily excited."

He went after his wife.

Everyone stayed silent. The children all looked mortified.

"Well," John began. "That escalated quickly."

Doug mumbled to Megan. "I told you they're crazy."

...

"Hurry so that I can measure your bust dear!"

Megan dropped into the dining room chair across from Kurt with a sigh.

"Is she still giving you a hard time, hon?"

She looked up at him.

"She's trying to measure me for a wedding dress."

Kurt chuckled, taking a swig from his beer bottle.

"I'm sorry honey. I'll go talk to her in a little bit...but just to be safe, you might want to lock your bedroom door tonight."

Megan groaned and rubbed her temples.

Ever since she arrived yesterday Shirley had been trying to get Megan to do all sorts of things with her.

Clothes shopping, needle point, drinking tea, every little girl thing that Megan _just did not give a damn about._

She looked up at Kurt desperately.

"Why is she so concerned about having a granddaughter? Doesn't she do stuff like this with her friends already?"

"Well sure she does. But this is just something really personal for her."

He reached across the table to grip Megan's hand.

"She also really seems to like you. I think that's why she wants you to..._get along_ with the boys so much."

Megan smiled a little, almost laughing at his wording.

"Thanks."

He gave her a warm smile and they both fell into a comfortable silence.

That was when Shirley came into the room with a long veil in her hands.

"Try this on, sweetie!"

...

Note: So, this is basically just about random adventures featuring Megan and the McGowans. Some chapters may be related to others and some may not be.


	2. Wedding

**Title: **For the Rest of Our Lives

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except maybe the idea.

**Prompt: **Wedding

…

Megan stared at Regina, not even daring to blink let alone move any limbs.

Regina was frantically moving about her and John's bedroom, digging through the closet, the dresser, and several boxes that no one would have ever guessed were under the bed. She pulled out ties, shirts, earrings, shoes, make-up. Megan had never seen her move so fast. And this included the time when her sons had her triple booked with sports games and school functions all in the same day.

"Uhm...do you need any help?"

Regina offered Megan a strained smile.

"No, honey, but thank you for offering. I promise there's a reason I called you in here. I just need to—"

"Mooooooom!"

Caleb, the youngest McGowan boy, came barreling into the room and plowed himself face first onto his parents' bed.

Megan tried to hide her laughter. It wouldn't do to fluster Regina even more than she already was.

Caleb was in a suit but had his red tie knotted around his chubby hands.

Megan heard Regina groan and quickly said, "I'll help him so that you can finish...things."

Regina sighed and went into the bathroom, her lavender dress making loud swishing noises.

Megan bent down in front of Caleb, struggling in her own dress that matched Regina's.

She had been hearing about Regina's baby sister's wedding for over a month now. She just hadn't been informed that she would be _participating _in the wedding until a few days ago.

Megan slowly undid Caleb's tie with a barely repressed sigh. She really wished she could sit this particular McGowan event out. It was strange hearing about all of these plans and relatives that she had never met before and it made no sense for her to be filling in as one of the bridesmaids, but at Regina's worn and pleading face she really couldn't say no.

Caleb cheered once his hands were free and tried to make a break for it, but Megan's reflexes were faster and she caught him around the waist.

"No way, you have to let me put it on you now."

He made a face. "But it's too tight!"

She smiled. "Yeah well, so is this dress but I'm still wearing it. Now hold still."

Megan went through the motions of tying the fabric around Caleb's neck—while compensating for his squirming—and tried not to think about how embarrassing she probably looked.

Aside from Regina, Megan, Caleb and Ian, the other boys had piled into the van with John and were already at the church. It was a challenge for her not to ogle at how nicely the older boys cleaned up. Now she was going to have to stand in front of all of them in the most elegant dress she had ever worn, looking very much not-Megan-like.

Megan blew a loose strand of hair away from her face. Regina had stayed behind to finish getting ready—since her morning consisted of getting all of her boys ready—and it wouldn't help things along if she felt the need to redo Megan's elaborate hair style.

She stood up, warning Caleb to keep his suit clean as he ran from the room. Regina emerged from the bathroom, haphazardly hooking one of her heels onto her foot.

She did a quick turn for Megan's approval. Megan smiled. "You look great, Regina."

Regina smiled at her, taking in the younger girl's appearance.

"Oh, honey...you look so beautiful."

Megan blushed, catching her appearance in the mirror behind Regina.

They were both wearing the long lavender bridesmaids dresses and they each had their hair done up in a twist that Megan never could have recreated on her own. While she favored her hair being up and out of her face, Megan couldn't help but wish she could wear it loose today. Her dress was sleeveless and exposed a good portion of her back and shoulders and she just _knew _her rowdy roommates would zone in on every inch of skin that was shown.

She stood up, smoothing out the creases and wishing that it wasn't _so tight _as she faced Regina.

"So, are we ready?"

Regina grabbed her clutch. "Yes, we just need to grab the boys and go. Oh! Don't forget your shoes!"

Megan watched as Regina picked up a sky-high strappy pair of shoes.

She wondered how long it would take for her ankles to snap.

…

Regina swatted the back of Ian's head with her purse as they rushed down the church hallway, urging the younger boys to move faster.

Megan hurried behind her, awkwardly shuffling her feet. She had already tripped three times in her shoes. Twice on the way into the car and once in the parking lot. She had already accepted that she was probably going to trip and stumble her way down the aisle and have to endure teasing from the McGowan boys later.

Regina was licking her hands and smoothing down the boys' hair as they went. They groaned and complained about her being gross.

"I didn't think you were going to make it!" John yelled, grinning at them as they approached.

Regina shot her husband a tired smile. "I didn't think we were either."

Evan and Finn emerged from one of the side chambers. Evan whistled lowly.

"Well, don't _we_ look nice?"

Caleb blew a raspberry and made to run out of his mother's reach. Megan bolted from behind Regina and grabbed his arm.

He huffed in annoyance.

John laughed and took Caleb from Megan's grasp.

"Your sister is down the hall waiting for you. And you boys are coming with me."

Regina and John hurried down the hall, leaving Megan alone and under the scrutiny of Evan and Finn.

Evan was grinning from ear to ear, eying her figure.

"Damn, you look great!"

Megan could feel her ears burning red.

"Thanks, you guys look...really nice."

Evan scratched the back of his head modestly while Finn gave a small smile, not quite looking at her. Megan frowned.

_Do I really look that bad?_

Megan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Sean round the corner. He was significantly easier to deal with than his younger brothers were.

Evan smirked at the flowers in Sean's hands. "What happened? You get tricked into being the flower girl?"

Sean whacked Evan upside the head. "They're for you three."

He handed a small flower to both boys to pin to their coats and then passed a bouquet over to Megan. She wiped her sweaty palms on her dress before she took it, gripping it tightly.

Sean sighed and loosened his tie. "Almost time to get this over with."

The next ten minutes were full of movement. Megan stood still, watching everything unfold.

She saw the familiar McGowan faces mixed in with all of the people she didn't recognize from the bride and groom's families. Then she was being pushed into a line with the other men and women in matching outfits.

She glanced around at the line-up. Evan was in front of her, holding his arm out to a girl that Megan thought was his cousin. She held her bouquet in one hand and slipped her other into his arm.

Megan blinked at all of the other people in front of her. Each bridesmaid was accompanied by an usher.

"So, it looks like we're stuck together."

Megan glanced to her right, seeing Finn in line beside her.

She blushed and prayed that his wording wasn't meant as an insult. "I feel sorry for you then. I can barely walk in these shoes."

Finn glanced down at her feet, trying to suppress a grin. "Really?"

"Yeah. I almost broke an ankle at least three times on the way here."

He offered her his arm and a gentle smile. "Well, if you fall I'll go down with you. Then we can both look stupid."

Rather than feeling embarrassed, she smiled and took hold of his arm. Then the music started up.

One by one the couples started moving down the aisle until there was no one left standing in front of Megan and Finn.

She took a deep breath and started forward.

_Okay, no big deal. We're moving slow, I can use Finn for leverage...there's no way for me to fall._

Some greater force must have hated Megan that day because just as she was reassuring herself, she stumbled.

Finn grabbed her upper arm to hold her up, glancing at her with a concerned look.

_You okay?_

Megan passed him a subtle nod, fighting to control her wobbling.

Fortunately no one seemed to notice her slip-up. They also didn't garner any unwanted attention when Finn casually removed her hand from his arm so that he could slip it around her waist.

She could feel the muscle in his arm flexing around her to help keep her steady and now she was wobbling for a whole different reason.

He squeezed her just a bit tighter as they ascended the steps up onto the platform at the front of the room. He held her for a second too long to make sure she was steady.

And as they pulled away from each other to go stand in their respective corners, Megan boldly reached out and squeezed his hand as it slipped from her body.

It was one quick movement, nothing for anyone in the audience to overlook. Nothing to hint at the fact that these two were somehow connected to each other in a big way, but it was enough to make Finn stare at Megan from across the platform.

She met his eyes briefly to shoot him a grateful smile. He returned it with his own bright smile that made her feel like falling over again.

The wedding march was a perfect excuse to tear her gaze away from him.

Megan kept her gaze firmly on the bride and her slow strides down the aisle, but she could still feel Finn's eyes on her. When she reached the steps, Megan chanced another glance at him.

He was still smiling at her and this time there was something in his gaze that she couldn't look away from.

His lips parted and she thought he was going to try to say something to her.

And then the bride promptly tripped and fell flat on her face.

…

Author's Note: I don't know how I feel about this. Some of the prompts that I have give me elaborate scenes to write about, and others just make me think of short, inconsistent things. I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway!


	3. Swimming

**Title: **Swimming

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys_.

**Note: **Yes, I know, I need to update faster.

**Summary: **Megan wondered if it would be socially acceptable to wear a parka to the town pool.

XXX

"Oh my god, why is it so hot out!"

Megan looked up from her magazine to glance at Ria. Pearl and Jenna rolled their eyes while Aimee shook her head.

"You're being a drama queen."

Ria slapped Aimee's arm indignantly. "Dude, don't even kid. I'm dying over here."

Megan smiled and went back to her article on Chris Hemsworth. Her new friends were one of her favorite things about living in Massachusetts. Along with the nice weather. Apparently Ria disagreed.

"It was hotter last summer!" Jenna said, lifting her sunglasses to the top of her head.

Pearl, tired of the ongoing debate, stood up and dove into the deep end of the pool.

The girls had decided to kick off Spring Break with a trip to the community pool at the end of Aimee's street. They had all made a trip to the mall prior to their plans, their shopping list consisting of sun screen, flip flops, sunglasses, and new bathing suits.

Megan glanced down at her green bikini dubiously. She had a perfectly good blue one piece hanging in her closet that she had used frequently when she and Tracey decided to head to the beach in Galveston, but Ria and Jenna overpowered her and convinced her to invest in this new one.

It took them over an hour to convince her to buy it and then an additional thirty minutes to get her to remove the shirt she was wearing over it. The battle for her to strip out of her shorts was better left unsaid.

Now Megan was sitting in a beach chair in between her friends, hiding behind a magazine and her new Aviators.

"Are you still being self-conscious? You look great in that!"

Megan looked up at Aimee, hoping that her blush could pass as heat from the warm day.

"I just…it's been a while since I've worn a bikini."

Which wasn't a lie. She had borrowed one of Tracey's swimsuits all of one time a few years ago and was paranoid because it was loose and she thought it would fall off.

Aimee laughed. "That's more times than me. You're in shape and have an awesome figure! There's nothing to worry about."

Megan couldn't help but scoff. "You're in shape too yet I'm not the one wearing a one piece." She left off the part about wishing that she _was_ wearing one.

Aimee wore a blue one piece and still had her blue jean shorts on over it. She pouted.

"Are you kidding? I came here with my poster model sister. If we were both wearing bikinis, it would be an embarrassing comparison."

Aimee's sister Hailey was on the other side of the pool in a skimpy string bikini, no doubt flaunting her figure.

Jenna overheard this and rolled her eyes. "Hailey is scrawny. You're full figured. You are way hotter, hands down."

Aimee didn't look all that convinced so Megan decided to give up the argument and try for something else.

"Seriously though, I can't believe you guys convinced me to get this. Let alone put in on and leave the McGowan's in it."

Megan didn't even want to _think _about what any of the McGowan boys would say if they could see her now. She almost left the house in full blown winter garb less she risk them catching a glimpse of what lay underneath.

Ria made a purring sound. "I'd like to see those boys in some swim wear. Why not give them a call, Meg?"

Megan almost choked. "Absolutely not!"

When she left the house all of an hour ago, the boys were still rolling out of bed. She had wanted to get out of there bright and early to avoid any sort of explanation. Honestly, if she wasn't worried about passing out from heat stroke, she probably would have worn a parka.

Ria made a tsk sound. "Too bad. I mean, everyone has seen Evan shirtless at lacrosse practice. But I would pay good money to see someone like Finn without a top.

Megan jumped up from her seat and threw down her magazine and sunglasses before walking briskly to the edge of the pool.

She had to fight the redness on her cheeks at the mental image that Ria had created.

She was already thinking enough about Finn and her parents and school and soccer and _life_. This was her day to chill out and relax with her friends by the pool.

Megan saw the diving board and made the sudden decision to go for it.

She waited in the short line of people before taking her turn to climb the ladder and walk to the front of it.

The water looked blue and crisp and so refreshing. Megan smiled, imagining that as soon as she broke the surface her layer of stress and all of her tense muscles and chaotic thoughts would strip off and be left to float behind her.

She bounced once, raised her hands over her head, took a breath and dove right in.

The sound of the water rushing around her ears silenced the world. Megan opened her eyes and saw the tile of the pool walls and various sets of legs spread out around her.

Megan smiled and let a few bubbles escape from her mouth, carrying her imagined laughter to the surface.

She stroked her arms and legs, swimming through the people. She could see the far end of the pool, knowing that her friends lay just beyond there. She would surface then.

Swimming was almost as good as running. It allowed Megan to use her speed and to exercise her muscles, but it also left her feeling weightless. It was how she imagined flying would feel.

She touched the wall of the pool, bracing her feet against it and pushing upwards. Her head broke the surface and she took in a breath of air.

Her friends clapped and hollered.

"Nice dive!" Jenna said, giving her a thumbs up.

Aimee was standing right above her, offering her an arm. Megan grinned and accepted it, being lifted back onto land.

Pearl handed her a towel, already rubbing her wet hair with another. Megan took it, drying her arms off.

She surveyed the pool goers, trying to match the faces to the legs she saw while she was underwater.

Ria stood from her chair. "I'm going to get snow cones, anyone want one?"

Everyone shouted which flavor they wanted, laughing when Ria threw her hands into the air in an exasperated gesture.

Megan tossed her towel onto her chair, saying, "I'll come help you."

She felt a little better about walking the length of the pool in her swimsuit. She didn't think that she was unattractive or anything, but there was something unappealing about seeing some of these people at school in a week and knowing that they've seen her in next to no clothing.

_Relax, _she thought. _They've seen lots of their classmates in less than me. No one's even looking at me._

Ria placed their order at the snow cone stand. Megan stood next to her, bracing her hands on her hips and idly looking around.

The stand was right next to the parking lot and a particular minivan caught Megan's eye. There was something so familiar about it…

"Hey, girl. How's it goin'?"

Megan spun around, her spine rigid. She knew that voice.

Doug stared at her, recognition and horror masking his face.

"Holy crap! _Megan_?!"

She didn't respond. Her mouth was wide with shock and disbelief.

Doug just tried to hit on her! He was staring at her in her _bikini_. The minivan was from the McGowan's driveway—

A chill washed over Megan.

"Doug, are you here alone?"

Ria seemed to take notice of Doug, looking surprised herself.

"What are you doing here?"

Doug was smacking his forehead repeatedly with his hand. He finally stopped to narrow his eyes at Megan.

"This never happened."

"Doug—"

"Never. Happened."

Megan flushed. "Trust me, I'm not going to be the one to say anything. What are you doing here?"

He scoffed, trying not to look embarrassed. "It's a nice day and we decided to come to the pool."

Ria said the word before Megan could, though she sounded more excited. "We?"

They followed where Doug looked, spotting Sean, Miller and John sitting in beach chairs. Regina was in the pool close by with Caleb and Ian. Evan and Finn were nowhere to be found and Megan prayed that they weren't here to save herself the humiliation.

Megan took some of the snow cones from Ria. "Well, we'd better get back to the girls."

Ria nodded but her eyes were scanning the crowd, no doubt searching for the rest of the McGowan clan.

She elbowed Ria hard.

"Ow! What?"

"Come on…" Megan left the threat to hang.

Ria nodded and said, "It was nice seeing you, Doug."

Doug only groaned, ducking around them.

Megan began to stalk back to their seats as Ria ran to keep up. "Megan, what is your deal?"

"Doug just tried to pick me up."

Ria made an unflattering face. "Oh, gross."

"Exactly. And it's only going to be worse if any of the others see me. So we have to—"

Megan ran into someone, narrowly saving the snow cones. She opened her mouth to apologize but suddenly found it hard to breathe.

Evan squinted down at her, shirtless and donning a pair of swim trunks.

"Whoa, Megan? Is that you?"

Megan wanted to cry. Really, what did she do to deserve this?

Ria wiggled her eyebrows. "Why hello, boys."

_Boys?_

Megan took notice of Finn standing just behind Evan, wearing a t-shirt and his own swim trunks. He was staring right at her, mouth slightly agape.

She stared at her toes, her face burning.

It didn't help that Ria wouldn't stop flirting with them.

"What brings you gentlemen here?"

Evan grinned, eying the two of them wolfishly. Megan didn't know whether she should call him a pig, feel flattered, or just feel utterly humiliated. Probably the latter.

"It's a nice day so we thought it would be a good idea to come down to the local pool. Apparently we think alike." Evan winked at them.

Megan finally said, "Why not go to the pool in our neighborhood?"

He shrugged. "It was crowded."

She wasn't sure how it could be any more crowded than this one, but it was plausible given the heat.

"Well, uh…we'd better go before these melt." She gestured to the snow cones that were already starting to drip down her hands. She turned to Ria. "Right?"

Ria nodded, walking around Evan and Finn. "Feel free to stop by and visit."

Megan suppressed a groan. _Please stop talking…_

She followed Ria, not daring to look back at them. She just _knew _they were staring. She knew what Evan was thinking because he was…well, Evan. But Finn?

She was debating mummifying herself in beach towels when they approached their friends.

"What took so long?" Pearl asked.

Ria dealt out the snow cones, saying, "We ran into the McGowans."

Pearl and Jenna each made a noise of approval while Aimee looked a little skittish. She was no doubt wondering where Miller was.

She glanced at Megan who nodded her head. "He's here."

Aimee blushed, automatically pulling her towel over her body. "Oh my god, he can't see me like this!"

Jenna, catching on, yanked the towel away from her. "Would you relax? Miller adores you! And I already told you, you look great!"

Ria slid Megan a devilish look. "Speaking of adoration…"

Megan sat in her chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Doug wants to pretend that never happened, and I am totally okay with that."

"Oh, I'm not talking about Doug."

When all Megan did was blink, Ria continued. "Did you see the way Finn was staring at you? I am so jealous."

Megan pulled her towel over her head. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm never going to be able to face any of them again."

"Wait, what happened?" Pearl asked.

Megan peeked out to see the rest of her friends looking between her and Ria with interest.

Ria waved a hand. "We ran into Evan and Finn and of course Evan was flirting. But Finn couldn't keep his eyes off of Megan."

Jenna gasped. "So you were right about Finn liking her!"

Megan sighed. "He doesn't—I mean he probably thought—"

"That you're smokin' hot in that bikini! I knew I did a good thing by picking it out for you!" Ria exclaimed.

Megan contemplated throwing herself into the deep end and forgetting how to hold her breath.

XXX

A couple of hours had passed and the pool was now less crowded than before.

Jenna and Pearl were splashing each other in the deep end, Ria was tanning, and Aimee and Megan had both decided to stayed glued to their chairs. Ria called them hermits.

Regina and John had spotted Megan earlier and waved, but so far that was the only contact she had with the McGowans and she wanted to keep it that way. She was even debating staying the night with one of the girls to avoid the awkward confrontation that was bound to follow.

Megan would have encouraged Aimee to go say hi to Miller, reassuring her that she looked great but then she would be a hypocrite.

Aimee sighed. "We are so pathetic."

Megan nodded her agreement. "I may need to live with you for the rest of Spring Break. I don't think I can face them."

Aimee swung around to face her. "Oh come on. It's not that bad."

Megan turned, her legs swinging off the side of the chair and bumping into Aimee's. "Yes it is! Those boys stare at the skin that shows when my shirt rides up over my jeans, and now they've seen me in this!" She gestured to her bathing suit.

Aimee smiled, patting her knee. "You're overreacting. And don't give me that look!" She said when Megan began to interrupt. "Yes, I know, I'm being a hypocrite but hear me out. You said yourself that Doug will never speak of what happened, and Evan would have made a comment no matter what you were wearing. The others didn't even see you and Finn totally thinks you're gorgeous."

Megan sputtered. She was going to deny everything but she thought back to Finn's painting of her and how she wondered if he really thought that she was as beautiful in real life as she was in her portrait.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Aimee smiled. "I know we joke around about it, but I seriously do think that Finn likes you."

Megan gulped.

Aimee suddenly looked up at something over Megan's shoulder. She turned and saw Miller with Finn and Sean right behind him.

Aimee summoned the courage to speak first. "Hey guys."

Miller stared at his feet, red in the face as he said, "Hi…you look really nice, Aimee."

To her credit, Aimee's face didn't turn _completely _red.

Megan smiled. She loved Miller and it felt silly for her to feel embarrassed around him. "Hi, Miller. Would you like to sit with us?"

He nodded, boldly taking a seat next to Aimee on her chair. He smiled shyly at Megan.

"You look nice too."

Megan flushed. "Thanks…"

She felt a pat on her shoulder and turned to see Sean.

He nodded at her. "Green looks nice on you."

It was far easier to be embarrassed in front of Sean. "Thanks. I like your…trunks." She wondered where he managed to find trunks with the Harley Davidson logo.

He grinned, patting her arm again. "I'm going to get some food. Anyone want something?"

He left after placing a few orders. Megan was suddenly very self-conscious of Finn standing next to her chair.

He cleared his throat. "Is this spot taken?"

Megan slid over on her chair to make room, not daring to look at his face. "No, please, sit down."

The material depressed as he sat and Megan was incredibly aware of how close his leg was to her bare one.

Aimee cleared her throat to break the silence. "I think I'm going to go swimming…"

She stood and was surprised when Miller followed suit.

Megan shot her a desperate look but if Aimee noticed she couldn't tell.

She was left alone with Finn.

"So—"They both started at the same time.

Megan stared at her lap and Finn ran his hands through his hair. She recognized it as his typical nervous gesture which only made her feel creepy for knowing this knowledge.

"Okay, here goes." Finn said.

He moved to sit in Aimee's chair, directly across from Megan. She stared at him in surprise.

He cleared his throat and looked up to her face. "I'm…sorry about earlier."

Megan rubbed her palms against her knees. "No, I realize this is weird and—"

"It's not. I just—"Finn sighed. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, turning his head but still watching her from the corner of his eyes.

Megan squirmed.

"I never meant to make you feel embarrassed or awkward."

She sighed, looking away. "I…I know. I just know this must be weird since I'm living in your house and you've seen me in my sweats. And now this?" She laughed humorlessly. "I know it's not a very attractive thought to have to live with."

She looked up at Finn to see him staring at her in disbelief.

"You think that…" He smiled, shaking his head.

Megan blushed, feeling like she was being made fun of. "What's so funny?"

Her breath caught at the way he was looking at her.

"Megan…I'd be lying if I said you're not beautiful."

She stared at him. She wasn't embarrassed or shy or anything except baffled.

The corner of Finn's mouth lifted. "And Doug can always back me up on that…"

Megan groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "He swore he was never going to speak of that ever again!"

Finn laughed. "Yeah well, I kind of tricked it out of him."

Megan couldn't help but smile, and for the first time that day things felt comfortable.

"Hey!"

They turned towards the pool, seeing Ria and Jenna at the edge. Pearl, Aimee, and Miller were a few feet behind them.

"We're playing Marco Polo, want to jump in?" Jenna asked.

Finn and Megan looked at each other and grinned before Megan said, "We're in."

They stood and Megan had to bite back a noise as Finn removed his shirt and tossed it on her chair. He caught her stare, his cheeks noticeably pinker.

"Uh…ladies first?"

Megan grinned.

Finn gave her a questioning look and she said, "I'd be lying if I said you're not beautiful."

She ran to the edge and dove in rather than waiting for a response. When she surfaced she spotted Finn beaming at her.

He ran to the edge and jumped in, splashing her.


End file.
